Exemplary embodiments relate to the art of turbomachines and, more particularly, to a patch ring for a compressor and a method for installing the patch ring on a rotor wheel.
Turbomachine compressors create a compressed airflow that is channeled along a flow path and delivered to both a combustor and turbine. The compressor includes a plurality of blades that rotate in close proximity to a casing to create the compressed airflow. Surface defects in the rotor wheels, resulting from manufacturing or service wear, are a risk to wheel integrity and need to be removed. Defects in the rotor wheels must be repaired so they maintain design intent. Currently, patch ring repair segments are installed on the compressor rotor wheels to repair operational or service wear, incorrect machining, or an operational failure that results in surface damage. However, in certain stages the rotor wheels cannot be repaired with a patch ring due to rotor architecture that prevents this type of repair. For example, in certain stages the patch ring could walk off a rabbeted surface, and this could create a machine malfunction during operation.